The Daily Telegraph reported that private companies working in hospitals, police and schools will “no longer be a matter of debate” after the coalition’s reforms of public service, Oliver Letwin, the Cabinet minister, has said.

1 March

The government abandoned a central plank of its work experience scheme when it was forced to bow to pressure from businesses to drop benefit sanctions against young people on the programme, reported the Guardian.

28 February

Barclays has been blocked from implementing two “highly abusive” tax schemes that could have cost the Treasury £500m, despite the bank’s commitment to a new code of practice in which it pledged not to engage in tax avoidance, reported the Financial Times.

Demonstrators who have been camped outside St Paul's Cathedral in London since October last year were finally evicted as riot police and bailiffs moved in after dark, dragging both tents and protesters away, reported the Independent.

The £500 million in avoided tax that a high street bank will now have to pay could fund full-time jobs above the living wage for all the young people who have been working for free under a controversial government scheme, argued the PCS website.

Leaders of thousands of London Underground workers have formally declared a dispute after a lack of progress in reaching a deal over payment for working during the Olympic Games, reported the Bournelocal website.

A new report by Unite and the North American-based International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) highlighted serious flaws in the National Express Group’s human rights policy, reported the Union-News website.

26 February

Tory MPs are to call for further cuts in spending in next month's budget – as well as reductions in income and business tax – amid growing fears that the chancellor, George Osborne, is not doing enough to stimulate economic growth.

25 February

Emma Harrison’s double resignation from her role as David Cameron’s families’ champion and chairman of A4e has finally focused media attention on the privatisation of job placement, argued Alex Nunns in Red Pepper magazine.